faces a more expensive process that can
be hindered by crop variations and less
certain outcomes with flavor than what
petroleum derivatives can provide. But
like always, the company is bending in
the breeze and now producing flavors and
dyes from a host of natural sources.

Meeting the Challenges

Despite the positive sales numbers,
Gottsacker says there are challenges to
doing well. The skills gap continues to be
one of the main issues keeping him up at
night.

“It’s like turning the Queen Mary,”Gottsacker said. “We can turn prettyquickly to address new trends. But it’sreally about having the people in the rightplace to move quickly. Wixon is growingfrom a company of tribal knowledge andreally good expeditors to one that needsWhile Wixon’s location gives the compa-ny access to the blue collar skills neededto run its production facilities, Gottsackersays filling R&D, sales and even executivepositions continues to be a challenge.

To help, the company has begun mobilizing with new tech to bring its production
process up to date. It’s an approach that
has led Wixon to reexamine its entire supply chain, from demand planning to sales,
to implementing orders and shipping them
out the door. The simple answer to make
the entire process go smoother? More
automation.

“We’re on a made-to-order basis,”Gottsacker said. “We’re like a little shopwhere the order comes in, and then weorder what we need to make it on time.

So now we have a forecasting tool that
is seamless into the order system that is
seamless into the supplier system. Now
someone might never touch that order.

“That sounds crazy. But that’s where
we need to be headed.”

Food Safety in the Age ofSocial Media

For all the benefits of new technology,
today’s gadgets have also raised new
issues. Namely, Gottsacker says they are
encountering contamination detection
they never could have predicted — and
that has sometimes outpaced regulatory
understanding of food safety.

Gottsacker cites one instance whereextremely trace amounts of peanut wereshowing up in batches of cumin. Becauseof agricultural cross-contamination —which can happen when two crops areplanted too close to each other — peanutsurprisingly appeared in Wixon’s routineanalytics.

“With the sophistication of our analytical equipment…we could pick it up at
parts per billion. We’ve never had this
technology before!” he said. “So now
what do you do? You have to ask the FDA.

But have the regulations kept up with thetechnology? Not yet.”From allergens to foodborne illnesses,Gottsacker says like any food manufac-turer, he worries that one day the red lighton his phone will light up with a call that aWixon product is being recalled.

“I don’t know any manufacturer thathasn’t (had a product recalled). And if theyhaven’t I’d question that manufacturer,”Gottsacker said. “But we’ve never had arecall caused by Wixon.”Still, keeping food safe is not only amajor business concern for the sake of